Twelve questions to ask a wedding venue before you sign

A venue is the biggest single decision of the wedding, and the quote you receive often shows only the headline price. The answers to a few well-chosen questions tell you what the day will actually cost and how smoothly it will run. Ask them in writing where you can, so there is a record.

Dates and capacity

1. 1Is our date, and a back-up date, genuinely available, and for how long will you hold it before a deposit?
2. 2What are the minimum and maximum guest numbers, and does the price change at certain thresholds?
3. 3Where will the ceremony, the meal and the dancing happen, and what is the plan if it rains?

Price and payment

1. 1What exactly is included: tables, chairs, linen, tableware, staff, cleaning, sound, lighting?
2. 2What is not included, and what are the extras: service charge, taxes, corkage, a cake-cutting fee, overtime?
3. 3What is the deposit, when are the instalments due, and what is the cancellation or postponement policy?

Food and drink

1. 1Is catering in-house, or can we bring our own caterer, and is there a fee if we do?
2. 2Can we hold a tasting, and how are dietary needs and children's meals handled?
3. 3Are there rules on alcohol, such as bringing our own drinks or when service must stop?

Logistics on the day

1. 1What are the access times for vendors and for set-up and clear-down, and is there a curfew or a noise limit?
2. 2Is there parking, step-free access, and enough toilets for our numbers?
3. 3Are there rules on decoration, such as candles, confetti, fireworks or fixing things to walls?

What to look for on the visit

If you can, visit at the time of day your ceremony would be, and see the space set up for an event, not empty. Check the route guests will walk, where you would stand for photographs, and where the noise might carry. Take photographs and notes, because three venues blur together within a week.

Warning signs

• A quote that is vague or will not itemise what is included.
• Pressure to sign or pay a deposit today.
• Reluctance to put terms in writing or to share the contract in advance.
• No clear answer on what happens if the date has to change.

A good venue is happy to answer all of this plainly. If the answers are clear, the contract is likely to be too, and you can sign knowing what you have bought.